If Mardi Gras and Carnivale had a baby, it might be Key West's Fantasy Fest. Held annually in October, Fantasy Fest takes place the eight to nine days leading up to Halloween. Throughout the week a variety of balls, contests and parades take place in Old Town. A Fantasy Fest weekend is a lively adults-only getaway.
Lobster season typically begins around the first weekend of August in Key West and the island celebrates with Lobsterfest. The fest brings a crowd to Duval Street, where lobster prepared in a multitude of ways is available on practically every corner. Events include the Duval Crawl, an art fair, free concerts and Sunday brunch.
Key West attracts many writers and hosts several writing festivals. The Key West Literary Seminar is held in January and offers readings, lectures and a writers' workshop program. The Robert Frost Poetry Festival coincides with National Poetry Month each April. The Key West Songwriters Festival takes place late April-early May. The Hemingway Festival occurs in July. This festival features literary events as well as a look-alike contest and a three-day marlin tournament in celebration of Hemingway's preferred island sport.
Luxury hotels and their accompanying spas have taken hold in Key West. Whether you are planning a girls' getaway or a romantic weekend, adding spa services on to your hotel package can reduce stress and the overall cost of your trip than if you booked them separately. Places available include Casa Marina Resort & Spa, Ocean Key Resort & Spa and Pier House Resort & Caribbean Spa. If you do not stay at a hotel with spa, there are day spas around the island.
Key West is a small island. Rent a bicycle to take you around town to hit Key West's major beaches.
Higgs Beach is along Atlantic Boulevard and at the end of White Street. There are snorkeling opportunities along the pier, a restaurant on the beach, showers and umbrellas for rent.
Smathers Beach is a long, sunny and shallow white sand beach that runs along South Roosevelt Boulevard. Small snorkeling opportunities, volleyball, water sports, food trucks and showers are available.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park beach is in the state park at the end of Southard Street. There is a small admission fee. A bit rocky of a beach, but good snorkeling among the jetties can make up for it.
Snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing trips and sunset cruises are mainstays among the activities in Key West. Numerous companies offer daily trips, so it may be difficult to choose who to set sail with. Promotions abound throughout town making it hard to miss out on information. Visiting your hotel concierge, innkeeper or a tourist bureau might make things easier to navigate.
Key West has a variety of museums, both historical and curious. Duval Street is home to a Ripley's Believe It or Not. For Key West history, visit the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, Shipwreck Historeum, Custom House, East Martello Tower or the Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters Museum. The great writers Ernest Hemingway and Robert Frost both had residences on the island; Hemingway's can still be explored.
